The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-08-18

result Of this was 20 swell the wood In the
socket in such fashion that nothing short Of
burning would get it out ngain. When this
important matter had been attended to by
Umslopogaas, went into my room and pro-
ceeded TO open little tin lined deal case,
which had not been undone since we left
England, and which contained--what do you
thinkl-nothing more or less than four mail
shirts.
1t seems almost laughablo to talk OF steel
shirts in these days Of bullets, against which
they are, of course, quito useless; but where
ono has 10 do with savagcs, armed with
cutting weapons such as assegais or battle
axes, they afford the most valuable protec-
ton, being il well made, quio!yinvulnerable
to them. / have often thought that II only
the English government had In our savage
wars, and more especially in the Zulu war,
thought fit to serve out light steel shirts, there
would be many man alive today who, as 1t
is, is dead and forgotten.
To return: on tho present occasion we
blessed our foresight in bringing these shirts,
and also our good luck in that they had not
been stolen by our rascally bearers when they
ran away with our goods. As Curtis had
LNO, uul, ulltl haN
made up his mind TO wear his combination
one himself-the extra three or four pounds
weight being matter OF no account to so
strong a man, and the protection afforded to
the thighs being a very important matter to
an individual not armed with shield OF any
kind-I suggested that he should lend the
other TO Umslopogaas, who was to share the
danger and the glory Of his post. He readily
consented, ana called the zulu, VINO canio
bearing Sir Henry's ak, which he had now
fixed up to his satisfaction, with him. When
we showed him the steel shirt, and explained
TO him that we wanted him TO wear IL, he ut
first declined, saying that ho had fought in
his own skin for thirty years, and that he was
not going to begin now to fight in an iron
one. Thereupon / took a heavy spear, and
spreading the shirt upon the floor, drove the
spear down upon it with all my strength, the
Weapon rebounding without leaving mark
apon the tempered steel. This exhibition half
converted him; and when l pointed out TO
him how necessary it was that he should not
let any old fashioned prejudices he might
possess stand in the way of precaution
which might preserve valuable life Mt
time when men were scarce, and also that II
he wore this shirt he might dispense with q
shield, and SO have both hands free, be yielded
at once and proceeded to invest his great
frame with the "iron skim" And indeed,
although made for Sir Henry, it fitted the
great Zulu like skin. The two men were
almost of n height; and though Curtis looked
tine bigger man, am inclined to think that
the difference was more imaginary than real,
the fact being that, although he was plumper
and rounder, he was not really bigger, except
in the arm. Umslopogaas had, comparatively
speaking, thin arms, but they were as strong
rs wire ropes. At any rate, when they both
stood, AK in hand, invested in tho brown
mail, which chung to their mighty forms like
q web garment, showing tho swell Of every
muscle and the curve Of every line, they
formed a pair that any ten men might shrink
from meeting.
1t was now nearly o'clock in the morning,
and the spies reported that, after having
drunk the blood of the oxen and eaten enor-
nous quantities Of meat, the Nasal were 60
ing to sleep round their watch fires, but that
sentries had been posted at each opening OF
tho kraal. Flossie, they added, was sitting
not far from the wall in the center OF the
western side of the kraal, and by her were the
nurse and the white donkey, which was teth-
cred to peg. Her feet were bound with
rope, and warriors were lying about all round
her.
As there was absolutely nothing further
that could be done then we all took some
supper and went to lie down for couple OF
hours.
The bed wherein lay was near an open
window that looked on to the veranda,
through which came an extraordinary sound
of grooming and weeping For time could
not make out what 1t was, but at last got
up, and putting my head out of the window
stared about Presently saw dim figure
lneeling on the end of the veranda and beat
ing his breast--in which l recognized AL
phonse. Not being able to understand his
French talk, or what on earth he was at, l
called to him and asked him what he was
doing.
"Ah, monsieur" he sighed, II do make
prayer for the souls of those whom shall
STAY tonight"
"Indeed," said; "then l wish that you
would do it little more quietly"
Alphonse reiterated and 7 heard no more
of his groans And so the time passed, till
at length Mr.. Mackenzie called me In a
whisper through the window, for of course
everything had now to DO done in the most
absolute silence. "Three o'clock" he said;
eve must begin to move at half past"
told him to come in, and presently he
entered, and am bound to say that IL it had
not been that just then had not got laugh
anywhere about me, should have exploded
at the sight he presented armed for battle
To begin with, he had on clergyman's black
swallow tail and a kind Of broad trimmed
black felt hat, both of which no had donned
on account, he said, of their dark color. In
his hand was the Winchester repeating rifle
we had lent him; and stuck in an elastic
cricketing belt, like those worn by English
boys, were, first, huge buckhorn handled
cnrying knife with guard 70 IL, and next q